Binance’s head of global intelligence and investigations, Tigran Gambaryan, has been released from Kuje prison in Nigeria after an eight-month detention, a family spokesperson confirmed to CoinDesk on Thursday. Gambaryan’s release came just a day after local prosecutors dropped charges against him, ending an ordeal that began with his detention in February.
Gambaryan was held in Kuje prison, a facility known for housing dangerous criminals, including members of the terrorist group Boko Haram. His applications for bail were repeatedly denied, but on Wednesday, authorities approved his release to seek medical attention abroad.
The Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought charges against Gambaryan, but those were formally withdrawn in an Abuja court on Wednesday. A statement from a family spokesperson quoted the EFCC prosecutor as saying, “The government has reviewed the case and, taken into consideration that the second defendant (Mr. Gambaryan) is an employee of the first defendant (Binance Holdings Limited), whose status in the matter has more impact than the second defendant’s, and also taking into consideration some critical international and diplomatic reasons, the state seeks to discontinue the case against the second defendant.”
The statement suggests that the focus of the investigation may now shift towards Binance Holdings Limited. The exact nature of the initial charges against Gambaryan and Binance remains unclear, as does the reason for the sudden shift in the prosecution’s strategy. The “critical international and diplomatic reasons” cited by the EFCC prosecutor also remain undisclosed.
